MARCH 12-14, 2026
The internationally recognized YTA music competition is open to classical artists, ages 18-30 (20-32 for Voice division), who are Texas residents or are enrolled in Texas music schools.
- Those enrolled in a Texas college, university, or music school, or
- Permanent residents of Texas enrolled in any college, university, or music school, or
- Current Texas residents. (“Texas residents” are persons holding a Texas driver’s license, ID card, or Texas voter registration card. Previous grand prize winners and students of current judges (see below) are not eligible.)
All materials must be received by December 31st, 2025, 11:59 PM CST for consideration by the selection committee.
Young Texas Artists reserves the right to disqualify contestants who do not exhibit the standards of accountability, responsibility, and behavior as dictated by professional decorum.
Contact Information
Dr. Emelyne Bingham
artdir@youngtexasartists.org
(832) 617-2344
Competition Location
Crighton Theatre
234 N Main St
Conroe, TX 77301
Competition Dates: March 12-14, 2026
Preliminary rounds are free and open to the public. Tickets must be purchased for the Finalists’ Concert & Awards.
- Thursday, March 12: Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp & Guitar Division Preliminary Round
- Friday morning, March 13: Strings Division Preliminary Round
- Friday afternoon, March 13: Voice Division Preliminary Round
- Saturday morning, March 14: Piano Division Preliminary Round
- Saturday evening, March 14, 7:30 PM: Finalists’ Concert & Awards
Awards
Piano Division
Gold Medal: $5,000
Silver Medal: $3,000
Strings Division
Gold Medal: $5,000
Silver Medal: $3,000
Voice Division
Gold Medal: $5,000
Silver Medal: $3,000
Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp & Guitar Division
Gold Medal: $5,000
Silver Medal: $3,000
- Grand Prize Winner receives an extra $5,000
- Audience Choice Winner receives an extra $3,000
- Finalists will receive professional photos of their performances, courtesy of Dave Clements of DWC Photography
Audition Requirements
Each candidate will be judged by the highest artistic standards in regard to musicianship, technical proficiency, repertoire selection, stage presence, and artistry. Formal attire is required only for the finals. All selections must be performed from memory.
Candidates must provide one original score of each selection for the panel. An additional original score must be on stage while the contestant is performing. Scores for judges must have clearly numbered measures but should be unmarked otherwise. No photocopies for use or reference will be permitted without expressed written permission from the publisher if the work is currently protected by US Copyright. Scores must not be labeled with the names of candidates or teachers. The judges will choose which excerpts of your repertoire they would like to hear, including repertoire for the final round of competition.
More detailed instructions regarding scores can be found on the FAQ Page.
Timeline
Thursday through Saturday afternoon: Preliminary rounds. Two finalists from each division will be selected to compete in the Finalists’ Concert.
Saturday Evening: Finalists’ Concert held in concert format. Final judging will take place during the concert. Judges will select repertoire and order for each contestant. Formal attire is required for the final round.
The judges will determine each finalist’s selection. The Competition Committee also reserves the right to withhold granting a division prize should there be a lack of suitable candidates.
Final Round
Final performances are limited to 12 minutes, meaning candidates will need to edit their longer pieces to fit within the time constraints of Saturday evening’s concert. One movement of a concerto or other work may be edited for the finals, although the entire work must be prepared for the preliminary rounds.
Formal attire is required for the final round of the competition. Examples include:
- A tuxedo (black, tails or short coat) with a white shirt, cumberbund or white vest, black or white bowtie, black shoes & socks. Suits and long ties are not considered formal wear and are not acceptable
- A formal, floor-length gown or equivalent
Repertoire Requirements
Please read through the FAQ Page BEFORE you begin your application. Candidates will compete in one of four divisions:
Piano
- A complete concerto or other major work for solo piano and orchestra.
- One movement from a Beethoven Sonata. If the candidate chooses to play one of the Beethoven concerti to fulfill the concerto requirement, a sonata of contrasting style and period should be chosen.
- All selections must be performed from memory.
Strings
- A complete concerto or other major work for solo instrument and orchestra.
- A movement of solo Bach.
- All selections must be performed from memory.
Voice
- Three (3) selections of contrasting style in their original keys, selected from standard opera, oratorio, cantata, or songs with orchestral accompaniment. Two (2) selections must be in the original language. A third selection of the candidate’s choice may be performed.
- All selections must be performed from memory.
Winds, Brass, Percussion, Harp & Guitar
- A complete concerto or other major work for solo instrument and orchestra.
- All selections must be performed from memory.
Collaborative Pianists
YTA has several talented collaborative pianists on staff, but due to the volume of contestants using them, it is imperative that they get adequate time to prepare. Therefore the following rules have been put in place:
- The fee to use a YTA staff collaborative pianist is $125.
- This fee is non-refundable after February 12, 2026. Contestants not selected to participate in live rounds will have this fee refunded upon notification of preliminary results.
- The fee to use a collaborative pianist if requested after December 31, 2025, is $150.
- Change in repertoire after February 6, 2026, will result in a $50 repertoire change fee. This fee applies to changes in solo repertoire as well.
- The absolute last day to change your repertoire is Friday, February 27, 2026.
- The fee to use a collaborative pianist if requested after February 13, 2026, is $200.
- Staff collaborative pianists reserve the right to decline performing unpublished works.
Application
The Submission Deadline for all materials is December 31, 2025, 11:59 PM CST
Before you begin your application, assemble the following information:
- $65.00 APPLICATION FEE. This fee is non-refundable and must be paid via credit or debit card.
- $125 COLLABORATIVE PIANIST FEE if you will be using a YTA staff collaborative pianist. This fee is refundable if you do not advance and must be paid with a credit or debit card.
- CURRICULUM VITAE in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format. Be sure to list major teachers as references and include their contact information in your curriculum vitae. Please note that a CV is not written in narrative (paragraph) form. Click HERE for help in writing and formatting your CV. Name your file as follows: firstname_lastname_CV (Ex. Charles_Ives_CV.pdf)
- HIGH-QUALITY HEADSHOT in .jpg or .jpeg format. Name your file as follows: firstname_lastname (Ex: Charles_Ives.jpg)
- RECENT AUDIO OR VIDEO RECORDING(S). Please submit a minimum of 15 minutes of music containing works of contrasting styles and periods. The repertoire on your recording does not need to be the same repertoire you intend to use in the live round. Name your file as follows: firstname_lastname_examplenumber (Ex. Charles_Ives_1.mov)
- REPERTOIRE LIST. Your Repertoire List should only contain the pieces you plan to play if you advance to the live rounds of the competition. Please DO NOT include the repertoire you submit for your video/audio prescreening or a list of every piece you’ve ever played. Your repertoire list in .doc or .docx format for the competition. PDFs will not be accepted. Name your file as follows: firstname_lastname_repertoire (Ex: Charles_Ives_repertoire.docx). The list must be “program ready,” in other words, listed exactly the way you would find it printed in a recital program, and must contain the following information:
- Composer’s full name and dates (Ex: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), not J.S. Bach)
- The complete title of each piece, including catalog number (Schmieder, Hoboken, Köchel, etc.) and opus number where applicable. Be sure to include the instrument in your concerto title. (Ex. Bassoon Concerto in Bb Major, K. 191)
- The proper name of each movement with movement numbers included (usually tempo marking, but not always) where applicable (Ex. I. Allegro con brio, II. Andante, etc.)
- The EXACT timing of each piece as you play it
- The EXACT timing of each movement as you play it
- Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
- All applications, curriculum vitae, and photos will become the property of the Young Texas Artists Music Competition and may be used for promotion.
2025 Judges
Mark Anderson, University of British Columbia
Katherine Ciesinski, Eastman School of Music
Miyoko Lotto, Manhattan School of Music
Bradley Mansell, Vanderbilt University
Diane Schultz, University of Alabama
2024 Winners
GRAND PRIZE
Fiona Shea, violin
AUDIENCE CHOICE
Szuyu Su, piano
GOLD
Zhenyi Huang, piano
Fiona Shea, viola
Elizabeth Marlow, soprano
Jacob Feldman, saxophone
SILVER
Szuyu Su, piano
William Suh, cello
Hannah Moreno, soprano
Maria de Jesus Contreras, harp
HONORABLE MENTION
Penelope Teague, soprano
Kaoruko Hayashi, piano